Speaking to Bloomberg View prior to his meeting with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Obama said that Washington's
ability to protect its staunch ally from being isolated in the world
would be "limited" if Tel Aviv continues expanding its illegal
settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Obama also warned that international condemnation will mean reduced
influence for Washington over issues that are of interest to Israel.

Talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority have stalled over
Tel Aviv's illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In
his interview, which was published on Sunday, Obama said "the window is
closing" for a so-called peace deal with the Palestinian Authority,
calling on Netanyahu to "seize the moment."

Last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry also warned that Israel
would face a possible international boycott if it failed to reach a
peace deal with the Palestinian Authority.

"For Israel, the stakes are also enormously high," Kerry said. "For
Israel there's an increasing de-legitimization campaign that has been
building up. People are very sensitive to it. There are talk of boycotts
and other kinds of things."

Israeli officials reacted angrily to Kerry's comments. They even went
as far as accusing him of endorsing and "amplifying" what they called
"anti-Semitic" efforts to impose sanctions on Israel by issuing the
warning.

The US State Department quickly responded to the criticism, saying
Kerry was referring to the actions of others and he has "a proud record
of over three decades of steadfast support for Israel's security and
well-being, including staunch opposition to boycotts." Add
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